A scheduled visit of the executive board members of the Turkish Industrialists' & Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) to Washington on March 16 and 17 was postponed, the Anatolian News Agency reported.

Abdullah Akyuz, TUSIAD representative in Washington, said in a statement that “the TUSIAD Board of Directors has taken the decision considering the fact that the visit is unlikely to produce any of the constructive outcomes we had hoped to achieve.”

“As you know very well, TUSIAD attaches paramount importance to bilateral relations with the United States, which have historically assumed a central place in both countries' foreign policies. TUSIAD also supposes that the current situation can’t contribute to the revitalization of a constructive dialogue,” he said.

“The TUSIAD Board of Directors would like to reiterate its commitment to this crucial partnership, and we sincerely hope we can reschedule our trip to Washington as soon as necessary steps are taken to improve bilateral relations,” Akyuz added.